


Available For World Ending Apocalyptic Emergencies Only

by ibelieveinturtles



Series: Donuts in My Bra and Other Stories [30]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Challenge fic, F/M, Magnets, Originally Posted on Tumblr, WinterShock - Freeform, dlaf2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-12
Updated: 2019-04-12
Packaged: 2020-01-12 04:32:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18439100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ibelieveinturtles/pseuds/ibelieveinturtles
Summary: Darcyland 3rd Annual Crack ChallengeApril 4 - Must include magnets - Pretty self-explanatory. Any story at all, but with the added fun of magnets.





	Available For World Ending Apocalyptic Emergencies Only

**Author's Note:**

> The inspiration for this one is some Lord of The Rings magnets we acquired some 15+ years ago…we originally had two sets and there was a Frodo and I think maybe a Gimli as well?? These are all we have left now… (and I was surprised to find them on the deep freezer because I thought they were all gone!)
> 
> it didn’t end up going the way I originally envisioned but *shrugs* these things happen!

 

* * *

 

Part of Bucky’s introductory tour of the Avengers Facility included the offices where everyone involved in publicity, promotion, and damage control worked. Steve had opted to show him around on a Sunday, so that no one would be around to ‘Nag me about another damn television appearance.’

There was also the advantage of getting to look around without the overwhelming challenge of meeting too many people all at once.

The department had been introduced sometime after the debacle of the Sokovia Accords, in order to present a more balanced and controlled narrative of the Avengers activities. It also controlled all of their publicity activities, such as hospital visits, charity functions, television appearances, and other things that required the personal attendance of one or more team members.

Bucky knew more about that side than he wanted because as Captain America, Steve was the most in-demand personality and he complained about it constantly.

Most of the office doors were locked but as Bucky wandered down the hallway he noticed one door that was slightly ajar. After looking around to see if anyone was there, he pushed it open and slipped into the room.

It was less of an office and more of a partitioned conference room. There was a desk and chair, a cupboard, and a bookcase at one end, and at the other end it had a large table with enough chairs to fit about twenty people.

One wall had a large window looking out towards the river and on the other wall… Bucky blinked in surprise.

The entire length of the other wall was covered in writing and magnets.

Not just any magnets either - oh, there were the usual obligatory buttons and words like he’d seen on several similar walls throughout the administrative area of the facility, but here… 

He walked around the end of the table for a closer look. At one end of the wall was the heading ‘Current Team Members.’ Below the heading were full-body photographic magnets of all the current Avengers.

The following three headings were titled ‘In Residence,’ ‘Off Base,’ and ‘In Transit.’ Below each one were more photos - heads only this time - of various team members, depending on where they currently were. 

The next column was ‘Senior Support Staff’, although there were only a few photos under this heading. The majority of these people were simple name labels.

Further along the wall were more headings - ‘Upcoming Appearances,’ ‘Injured,’ ‘Unavailable,’ ‘Extremely Unavailable,’ ‘Emergencies Only,’ and ‘World Ending Apocalyptic Emergencies Only.’

There were photos of different Avengers under all of the headings except for ‘Emergencies Only ’and ‘World Ending Apocalyptic Emergencies Only.’ The former included Steven Strange and the Guardians of the Galaxy, and the latter had photos of Spiderman, Tony Stark, and… and him. He stood in front of the magnetic photo and stared at it.

“Look, I wasn’t gonna put you on the board at all but Steve insisted that even though you’re pretty much done with the whole heroing gig, you’d still wanna join in for an apocalypse.”

He turned swiftly to see a young woman leaning against the door, arms folded across her chest.

“I mean, I personally, can’t fight to save my own life, let alone the world but I’d try, you know?” she continued.

“How’d you turn all the pictures into magnets?” were the words that popped out of his mouth. Not what he’d meant to say at all.

She grinned, pushing off the doorway and moving into the room. “Oh, that’s easy. You just buy magnetic photo paper and print onto it.”

He turned to look at the picture again. “I’ve never posed like that in my life.”

“I’ll let you in on a little secret but ya gotta promise not to tell, okay?” She peered up at him, a twinkle in her eye and the ever-present smile dancing about her mouth.

“Okay,” he said, returning her smile. “Promise.”

She cast a glance over her shoulder, then tugged at his shirt sleeve, pulling his ear closer to her mouth. “I have an accomplice who likes to wear a little camera on their uniform on missions. They send me pictures to use. Work stuff only though, I swear.”

“Huh,” he replied, straightening up when she released him. “Sneaky.”

She nodded. “My source doesn’t just send me the pretty pictures like that one, either. I get the less flattering ones as well.”

He eyed her off warily. “And what do you do with the unflattering pictures?”

“Well, when people annoy me, or don’t play nice, or do something stupid, I swap the pretty pictures for the less pretty pictures.” She dropped into a conspiratorial whisper. “You should ask Steve about them. I have to use them  _ a lot _ with him.” 

Bucky chuckled. “Steve always was a damn fool and he only got worse after he let them do science fiction on him.” 

“Absolutely no sense of self preservation,” she agreed. “He's a major pain in my ass. Say-” she turned and looked up at him again, “now that you're here, is there any chance you'll be able to like, keep him in line at all?”

“Well, now you're asking the hard questions and I don't even know your name.” The teasing tone in Bucky’s voice surprised him but this fearless woman obviously knew who he was and didn’t seem to be bothered by it. At all.

Her eyes went wide and her mouth dropped open.

“Oh my Thor. I'm so sorry- I've been dealing with all your stuff for so long I sometimes forget we've never actually met.” She stuck her hand out. “I'm Darcy Lewis, part of the Public Relations team.”

He took her hand in his and she shook it firmly.

“I feel like I should be the one apologising. My  _ stuff _ is a lot to deal with.”

Darcy shrugged. “They do pay me very well, but…” She sucked her bottom lip in between her teeth in a manner that made him feel things he hadn’t felt in a very long time. She glanced down and then up again, the smile making a reappearance at the corner of her full mouth. “If you wanna make it up to me, I can always use more photos of Steve in unflattering positions?” She ended on a questioning note, giving him a clear opportunity to turn her down if he wanted too.

He did not want to.

“Does that mean I’ll need your phone number?” he asked.

“And my email address,” she replied. “Not just my work ones either. I think that where Steve is concerned, you should be able to get in touch with me at any time.”

He nodded soberly. “I absolutely agree. Actually, if you’re free right now, I’ve got some pictures on my phone that I think you might like.”

Her grin bloomed across her face again. “How about coffee at my place?” she suggested.

When Steve came looking for Bucky a few minutes later there was no sign of him.

 

* * *

 

**Author's Note:**

> I imagine some of the magnets would look a bit like these...
> 
>  
> 
> [Some pretty Steve icons](http://dailyteamcap.tumblr.com/post/184004401145/rhodeycarols-200-x-200px-please-likereblog-if)  
> [Some pretty Bucky icons](http://seabstan.tumblr.com/post/172695642894/like-if-you-save)
> 
>  
> 
> My Tumblr, if you're interested, is [ibelieveinturtles](http://ibelieveinturtles.tumblr.com/)


End file.
